This is an oral article I saw on the WeChat public account “Shen Geng Ji,” narrated by a 20-year-old youth about his work experience and insights. It feels meaningful as a piece of exposing material, so I reposted it on the forum. But this article also reflects his petty bourgeois vulgar thoughts and some incorrect viewpoints, such as his belief that foreign workers have unions backing them, without realizing that foreign unions are also tools controlled by the bourgeoisie; and he says he wants to save money to pursue photography as a freelance career in the future, and advises young people who haven’t entered factories yet not to do so. This shows that although he recognizes that he is exploited by capitalists, he still sees himself as petty bourgeois, pursuing personal freedom to escape the exploitation of big capital rather than proletarian revolution. These points should be noted when reading.
I am 20 years old this year, have worked for 2 years, and entered factories mainly because the wages are slightly higher
My name is Xiao Jie, I just turned 20, and I have been working for two years.
I have worked in kitchens, service industries, and in three factories in Shenzhen, operating machines and screwing parts. Now I work as a general worker in a printer factory.
This time I joined this printer factory because an older brother introduced me to an agent I saw—nothing special, just because the wages are a bit more transparent than other agents: after working a month, they add 1 yuan to the pay difference; they don’t hold back two or three months like black-market agents, so I at least know what I will get.
For us low-level workers, there are no grand choices; whichever factory pays on time and doesn’t cheat, we work there—it’s all out of helplessness.
Assembly line is the most exhausting: can’t stop, get scolded for mistakes, efficiency and quality are forced
My daily work state can only be described as exhaustion and pain.
The two most uncomfortable points are:
First, I simply cannot stop; the assembly line pushes people forward, output is fixed, and even a second of rest is hard;
Second, making even a small mistake, the team leader or supervisor immediately scolds, curses with foul language, completely disregarding us low-level workers as human beings.
The most absurd thing in the factory is that they want both efficiency and quality, and they pay the lowest wages—this is fundamentally contradictory!
If you want quality, speed cannot be fast; if you want to rush, quality will inevitably suffer. But management doesn’t care, only pushing for output. When mistakes happen, they scold workers, and all the pressure is on us.
My workstation is even more complicated: one wire needs to go through 8 holes, then 21 screws need to be tightened, and if you can’t tell black shells from white shells, you make mistakes. After finishing, you need to scan, pick up screws, push to the next station—there’s no moment to rest.
Black parts are hard to see; you must feel with your hand. If you miss and they go down the line, you get scolded again.
First understanding “exploitation”: schools sell us to factories, wages are eaten up layer by layer
I truly realized I was being exploited and oppressed during my internship at an electronic factory in Hubei.
At that time, I was still a student, and the school directly “sold” us to the factory. The school takes a cut, the factory takes a cut, and our wages as student workers are much lower than regular workers, even though we do the same work.
I couldn’t stand it and immediately encouraged my classmates to resign—unfortunately, most were afraid they wouldn’t get their diplomas and dared not resist. In the end, only I and two classmates fought to the end, negotiated with the school and factory, and if they refused to let us leave, we just quit outright. I still got my diploma.
Later, I encountered wage arrears of two months in other jobs—if you don’t ask, they don’t pay; if you ask, they drag their feet. The wages of low-level workers are just pennies in the eyes of bosses.
Now at this factory, noise and dust are not too bad, but there are no safety helmets or basic protective gear. Temporary workers only get 50 yuan commercial insurance, and if something happens, you have to bear it yourself.
My labor value: with this intensity, wages should be over ten thousand, at least 5,000
I can’t calculate exactly how much profit I’ve created for the factory, but I know: the value I create and the pay I get are completely mismatched.
Now my hourly wage is 21 yuan. Without overtime, I only earn two or three thousand a month; with hard overtime, about four or five thousand.
With this workload and mental pressure, I think over ten thousand is not too much; even if the output is cut to a quarter of now, five or six thousand would be reasonable.
The team leader always says in morning meetings, “The boss gives you 21 yuan an hour, so you should do enough work,” but they never count: the cost of overtime, mental exhaustion, being insulted, and the surplus value we create with our own hands—this is the most straightforward exploitation.
I have resisted, but fighting alone is useless; unity among workers is the way out
I have resisted: during internships, I encouraged classmates to run away, I insisted on unpaid wages, I quit directly when I couldn’t stand the exploitation…
But I gradually realized: resisting alone, the boss is not afraid. At most, they replace you; only when workers unite will the boss panic.
More people, more power—if all workers on the line or in the entire factory strike together, the factory can’t produce, the boss can’t make money, and they will have to compromise.
Foreign workers have unions backing them because of decades of struggle and unity; what we lack now is the awareness of solidarity. Many workers feel bitter but dare not speak or fight, thinking “just endure,” but the more they endure, the harsher the exploitation.
In the factory, I don’t dare to talk about these things casually, for fear of being targeted; but when I meet understanding and brave workers, I always advise: don’t endure, resist, and if it’s really impossible, leave together—don’t let capitalists manipulate us.
I only want the most basic rights: 5 days, 8 hours, social insurance, reasonable wages
I have no high demands for future work, just the most basic dignity for workers:
5-day, 8-hour workweek, double rest;
Monthly salary of five or six thousand, paid on time;
Full payment of social insurance and housing fund, with basic security;
Reduce output, slow down efficiency, don’t force us to exchange our lives for money;
Lower housing prices, don’t let us spend our whole lives unable to afford a house.
This is not a luxury, but what workers deserve.
After a year, I plan to leave this factory, rent a place, do food delivery temporarily, then pursue my interest in photography as a freelancer—no longer want to be trapped in assembly lines, exploited and insulted, and want to do something creative and under my control.
This factory isn’t the worst; with two days of paid training, I can start earning money. It’s a second-tier factory that’s “not the best but not the worst,” but even so, it can’t escape capital’s exploitation—only the degree differs.
To all workers and young people: learn more, unite, and resist
Finally, I want to tell all factory workers like me:
Don’t accept fate, don’t swallow your anger. Our labor is valuable and shouldn’t be sold cheaply.
When facing unreasonable exploitation, don’t bear it alone. Communicate more with your colleagues, unite, and there will be strength.
And to young people who haven’t entered factories yet or are still in school:
Learn more knowledge, improve yourself, don’t be trapped in assembly lines early; even if you work in a factory, understand the nature of exploitation, defend your rights, and don’t be sold and still help others count money.